Cambodia: Phnom Penh

First full day in Phnom Penh and ready to explore.  We began with the Tuol Sleng Museum.  Pol Pot’s regime set up this old school as a prison named S-21 when the Khmer Rouge took over in 1975.  This Museum housed prisoners and torture chambers.  Not until recently have the Cambodians begun to refurbish this site, as it had laid in ruins for years.  It is too bad, as there is so much history here yet it still is not presented well and needs to be better presented for not only tourists, but also for the locals.  We saw the Killing Fields, a somber experience.  This is where the Khmer Rouge began to systematically kill their own to move to an agrarian society with no intellectuals, scholars, business men, doctors, etc.  A sad time for Cambodians.

On our walk, we found another Pagoda.  So many now we lost count.

Another copy...not quite as good as the original, but Erik gave her a hug anyway

Rules for the prisoner at Tuol Sleng prison, now a museum

This sign says no laughing.  Some Cambodians do not respect this museum and have added graffiti inside

A look at the cells built within the classrooms

Another look at wooden cells built within another classroom, scary

We visited the Russian Market, where the locals shop.  It was a mix between a department store, car and motorbike shops, butchers, fruit/veggie stands, pharmacies, and toy stores…all in stalls and outdoors.  I started looking at a women’s stall and when I said thank you and walked away, she started to complain loudly, and I reminded her that it is free to look (which she did not take kindly?!).

Just two westerners blazing the roads of Cambodia!

Dinner anyone??

Blurry, but typical of families simply sleeping in their small shops during the day

Safe Food, Good Food...Yeah right?!  Stomach hasn't been right for a while

We got caught in the torrential rain, so made a stop at a bakery for some baked goods and a coffee to wait out the storm.  From there we headed to dinner at Frizz, a Khmer restaurant, for some great cheap eats.  We love our food here and walking the amount we do necessitates refueling!!